Please R&R
"Simon, Amanda isn't in school today." Lucy catches up with Simon in the hall
"Maybe she doesn't like Mondays" Simon jokes "I talked to her last night she seemed fine, maybe she's coming in late." He replies more seriously
"I hope so, how's her mother doing?"
"From what Amanda has told me she's getting better, they think that everything should go good from here on out." Simon replies "I hope so for her sake at least."
"She's been living with her mother's cancer for a while now, I'm sure she's doing fine a little preoccupied but what can you expect?" Lucy says
"I know, I wish I could do something for her though."
"I do too, but we can't do anything but be there for her." Lucy pats his back "How about if she's not here by lunch we'll call her house?" She suggests
"All right, I'll see you later." Simon walks off to class
*****************
"Robbie?" Amanda stands in his doorway
"Hey." He greets her "How you doing?"
"About as good as you can expect." Amanda takes a deep breath "We need to start the funeral arrangements."
"I know, we have to go to Reverend Camden, that's what mom wanted."
"She planned this out?" Amanda sits down on his bed
"Yea, she did in the note she left us."
"Oh….. where's Rick?"
"He went to pick up some things from the store, we were running low on food."
"Yea, mom hadn't been eating much or cooking much, we didn't need much in the house." Amanda looks out the window "This is so weird."
"I know, I keep expecting her to come in here and tell us dinner is ready or something like that." Robbie smiles faintly "Have you talked to Simon?"
"No, he's in school anyway." Amanda shrugs "I don't know what to say to him."
"I know the feeling. I'm going to go by Reverend Camden's office this afternoon, you want to come?"
"No, I'm just going to stick around here."
*******************
"Has Amanda come in?" Lucy asks Simon, who shakes his head "All right let's go call her house." Lucy goes over the phones and makes the call. "No one's home." Lucy tells him hanging up. "I hope nothing happened."
"Me too. You know I'll talk to you later I've got some things to take care of." Simon replies distantly walking away, he goes to his locker and takes a book out looking for something.
"Simon?"
Simon looks up "I was just looking for the number you gave me for you mom's hospital room. I was worried about you."
Amanda nods "I'm sorry I didn't call you or anything. Robbie just went to go and visit your father and Rick is out somewhere I didn't feel like being home alone anymore."
"Why not?"
"Do you want to leave? I didn't sign in, I just wanted to see you." Amanda asks him
"Amanda is your mom all right?" Simon asks concerned
She shakes her head, her eyes filling up with tears "She's uh, she died this morning."
"Yea lets get out of here." Simon puts his things into his locker and takes her hand and they walk out of school.
"I'm sorry, I wasn't planning on walking into school and just throw that at you." Amanda apologizes
"Do you want to talk about it?" Simon asks gently as they walk over to a bench and sit
"It's another crappy day out, my mom told me it never rains out here and when it does rain, it pours. I understood what that meant last night. And what do you know it poured." Amanda looks down "I woke up last night with this really bad sinking feeling so I called the hospital and they said to come down there. My mom knew she was about to die, so she had Rick and Robbie sign guardianship forms. I swear the that had to be why she stayed alive as long as she did to make sure we were all right and together. She died a couple of minutes afterwards."
"I'm sorry, I don't even know what to say."
"I don't either, she didn't deserve to die."
"No one does." Simon holds her hand tight "Is there anything I can do for you?"
"Being here is enough, I'm sorry I asked you to leave school you're probably going to get into trouble, maybe you should go back." Amanda looks at him
"I'm staying with you. For as long as you want me to." Simon promises her brushing a strand of hair out of her face.
She smiles gently at him and lays her head against him "Thank you."
*******************
"Robbie?" Eric looks up "Come in, how are things, I haven't seen you in a while."
"I'm sorry about that things have been kind of crazy lately." Robbie sits down
"Understandable, so what's up?"
"I need to ask you a favor." Robbie replies tensely
"I'll do my best, is everything all right."
"I need you're help planning my mother's funeral."
Eric looks shocked "I- I'm sorry. When did it happen?"
"This morning, at like three in the morning."
"Were you there?"
"Yea all three of us were. My mother had wanted you to perform the services and honestly I don't know how to go about this. I don't have much experience with it." Robbie half smiles
"Of course I'll help you out. How's your brother and sister?"
"Rick is out, he left this morning. Amanda is hardly talking to anyone, she's still at home."
"Why don't you come to my house for dinner tonight all of you?" Eric suggests "Then maybe we can start preparing for it."
"Thanks, it means a lot to all of us." Robbie stands up
"All right, we'll see you around 6 then."
******************
Annie opens the door that evening and finds Robbie and Rick standing there. "We don't know where Amanda is." Robbie explains her absence
Annie smiles "Probably the same place Simon is, he left school after lunch and no one's heard from him since. I'm sure they're fine." She lets them in. "How are you guys doing?"
"Been better." Rick replies and Robbie agrees
"All right, well why don't we go eat dinner first?" Annie leads them into the dining room.
"Hey Robbie." Lucy hugs him "I'm sorry, for all of you" She hugs Rick as well.
"Yea me too. That shouldn't have happened." Ruthie walks over to them "I made you a card."
"Thank you." Robbie smiles and accepts it, then takes a seat at the dinner table.
"So how have you guys been holding up?" Eric asks taking a seat
"Actually, we were both kind of wondering something." Rick replies glancing at Robbie
"What?" Eric asks
"We were both wondering if we should call our father and invite him. I mean would if be the right thing to do?" Robbie asks
"I think it might be a good thing to call him, but ultimately it's up to you, all three of you."
"Yea well since we're short one kid right now, why don't we eat?" Annie suggests bringing the food to the table.
****************
"Hey what are you two doing out here?" Matt pulls up on the side of the road.
"Taking a walk" Simon replies
"At 7:00 at night?"
"It's not exactly late you know." Simon replies
"Where were you today? You weren't home when I stopped by."
"I was out."
"With Amanda?"
"Yes, he was with me." Amanda tells Matt. "We just didn't feel like going back."
"Well why don't you get in and we'll all go back." Matt opens the door.
"Sorry." Simon whispers as they get in. Amanda just smiles back.
**************
"Hey guys, look who I found." Matt walks into the dining room.
"Matt made us come home." Simon explains, Amanda stands quietly in the background.
Annie gets up to hug Amanda, but Amanda backs off. "Don't" She asks
"All right, if you need to talk. I will."
"Same goes for me." Eric adds
"Me too." Lucy tells her
"Listen, I really don't want to talk to anyone about anything." Amanda says to them all
"Well why don't you sit down and eat something?" Annie asks
"I'm not hungry." Amanda replies leaving the room Simon follows her out.
"Did I miss something?" Matt asks confused
"Oh yea." Ruthie mutters
"What?" Matt questions looking around
"Our mom died." Robbie pats Matt on the back and walks past him "We should probably get going."
"Thanks for dinner" Rick stands up "I'll go get Amanda."
"I'm here, let's go." Amanda says curtly walking in.
"I'll call you tomorrow Robbie." Eric calls to him as they walk out the door. "Simon did she talk to you about it?"
"Somewhat, she doesn't feel like talking much though."
"I can see that, but it's for the best."
"Sometimes talking isn't best, everyone deals in their own way." Simon answers
"Yea but-"
"No buts, just period." Simon tells Eric "I'll be in my room."
****************
"Amanda come on talk to us." Robbie follows her inside the house.
"I don't want to talk."
"Getting angry wont help, neither will running away."
"Robbie just leave her." Rick tells him
"No. She needs to talk."
Amanda spins around "So what you spend a few months with a minister and now you know just what to say and do? Mom is dead, there's nothing to talk about."
"How about how you feel? Of what you're thinking?" Robbie asks
"I'm thinking that my life has just changed and I lost the only person in my life that cared about me and took care of me, that now I'm alone!" Amanda yells going into her room and slamming the door.
"Ouch" Rick mutters "I told you, you should have let her be."
"Shut up." Robbie replies going into his own room.
To be continued…. Please R&R
"Simon, Amanda isn't in school today." Lucy catches up with Simon in the hall
"Maybe she doesn't like Mondays" Simon jokes "I talked to her last night she seemed fine, maybe she's coming in late." He replies more seriously
"I hope so, how's her mother doing?"
"From what Amanda has told me she's getting better, they think that everything should go good from here on out." Simon replies "I hope so for her sake at least."
"She's been living with her mother's cancer for a while now, I'm sure she's doing fine a little preoccupied but what can you expect?" Lucy says
"I know, I wish I could do something for her though."
"I do too, but we can't do anything but be there for her." Lucy pats his back "How about if she's not here by lunch we'll call her house?" She suggests
"All right, I'll see you later." Simon walks off to class
*****************
"Robbie?" Amanda stands in his doorway
"Hey." He greets her "How you doing?"
"About as good as you can expect." Amanda takes a deep breath "We need to start the funeral arrangements."
"I know, we have to go to Reverend Camden, that's what mom wanted."
"She planned this out?" Amanda sits down on his bed
"Yea, she did in the note she left us."
"Oh….. where's Rick?"
"He went to pick up some things from the store, we were running low on food."
"Yea, mom hadn't been eating much or cooking much, we didn't need much in the house." Amanda looks out the window "This is so weird."
"I know, I keep expecting her to come in here and tell us dinner is ready or something like that." Robbie smiles faintly "Have you talked to Simon?"
"No, he's in school anyway." Amanda shrugs "I don't know what to say to him."
"I know the feeling. I'm going to go by Reverend Camden's office this afternoon, you want to come?"
"No, I'm just going to stick around here."
*******************
"Has Amanda come in?" Lucy asks Simon, who shakes his head "All right let's go call her house." Lucy goes over the phones and makes the call. "No one's home." Lucy tells him hanging up. "I hope nothing happened."
"Me too. You know I'll talk to you later I've got some things to take care of." Simon replies distantly walking away, he goes to his locker and takes a book out looking for something.
"Simon?"
Simon looks up "I was just looking for the number you gave me for you mom's hospital room. I was worried about you."
Amanda nods "I'm sorry I didn't call you or anything. Robbie just went to go and visit your father and Rick is out somewhere I didn't feel like being home alone anymore."
"Why not?"
"Do you want to leave? I didn't sign in, I just wanted to see you." Amanda asks him
"Amanda is your mom all right?" Simon asks concerned
She shakes her head, her eyes filling up with tears "She's uh, she died this morning."
"Yea lets get out of here." Simon puts his things into his locker and takes her hand and they walk out of school.
"I'm sorry, I wasn't planning on walking into school and just throw that at you." Amanda apologizes
"Do you want to talk about it?" Simon asks gently as they walk over to a bench and sit
"It's another crappy day out, my mom told me it never rains out here and when it does rain, it pours. I understood what that meant last night. And what do you know it poured." Amanda looks down "I woke up last night with this really bad sinking feeling so I called the hospital and they said to come down there. My mom knew she was about to die, so she had Rick and Robbie sign guardianship forms. I swear the that had to be why she stayed alive as long as she did to make sure we were all right and together. She died a couple of minutes afterwards."
"I'm sorry, I don't even know what to say."
"I don't either, she didn't deserve to die."
"No one does." Simon holds her hand tight "Is there anything I can do for you?"
"Being here is enough, I'm sorry I asked you to leave school you're probably going to get into trouble, maybe you should go back." Amanda looks at him
"I'm staying with you. For as long as you want me to." Simon promises her brushing a strand of hair out of her face.
She smiles gently at him and lays her head against him "Thank you."
*******************
"Robbie?" Eric looks up "Come in, how are things, I haven't seen you in a while."
"I'm sorry about that things have been kind of crazy lately." Robbie sits down
"Understandable, so what's up?"
"I need to ask you a favor." Robbie replies tensely
"I'll do my best, is everything all right."
"I need you're help planning my mother's funeral."
Eric looks shocked "I- I'm sorry. When did it happen?"
"This morning, at like three in the morning."
"Were you there?"
"Yea all three of us were. My mother had wanted you to perform the services and honestly I don't know how to go about this. I don't have much experience with it." Robbie half smiles
"Of course I'll help you out. How's your brother and sister?"
"Rick is out, he left this morning. Amanda is hardly talking to anyone, she's still at home."
"Why don't you come to my house for dinner tonight all of you?" Eric suggests "Then maybe we can start preparing for it."
"Thanks, it means a lot to all of us." Robbie stands up
"All right, we'll see you around 6 then."
******************
Annie opens the door that evening and finds Robbie and Rick standing there. "We don't know where Amanda is." Robbie explains her absence
Annie smiles "Probably the same place Simon is, he left school after lunch and no one's heard from him since. I'm sure they're fine." She lets them in. "How are you guys doing?"
"Been better." Rick replies and Robbie agrees
"All right, well why don't we go eat dinner first?" Annie leads them into the dining room.
"Hey Robbie." Lucy hugs him "I'm sorry, for all of you" She hugs Rick as well.
"Yea me too. That shouldn't have happened." Ruthie walks over to them "I made you a card."
"Thank you." Robbie smiles and accepts it, then takes a seat at the dinner table.
"So how have you guys been holding up?" Eric asks taking a seat
"Actually, we were both kind of wondering something." Rick replies glancing at Robbie
"What?" Eric asks
"We were both wondering if we should call our father and invite him. I mean would if be the right thing to do?" Robbie asks
"I think it might be a good thing to call him, but ultimately it's up to you, all three of you."
"Yea well since we're short one kid right now, why don't we eat?" Annie suggests bringing the food to the table.
****************
"Hey what are you two doing out here?" Matt pulls up on the side of the road.
"Taking a walk" Simon replies
"At 7:00 at night?"
"It's not exactly late you know." Simon replies
"Where were you today? You weren't home when I stopped by."
"I was out."
"With Amanda?"
"Yes, he was with me." Amanda tells Matt. "We just didn't feel like going back."
"Well why don't you get in and we'll all go back." Matt opens the door.
"Sorry." Simon whispers as they get in. Amanda just smiles back.
**************
"Hey guys, look who I found." Matt walks into the dining room.
"Matt made us come home." Simon explains, Amanda stands quietly in the background.
Annie gets up to hug Amanda, but Amanda backs off. "Don't" She asks
"All right, if you need to talk. I will."
"Same goes for me." Eric adds
"Me too." Lucy tells her
"Listen, I really don't want to talk to anyone about anything." Amanda says to them all
"Well why don't you sit down and eat something?" Annie asks
"I'm not hungry." Amanda replies leaving the room Simon follows her out.
"Did I miss something?" Matt asks confused
"Oh yea." Ruthie mutters
"What?" Matt questions looking around
"Our mom died." Robbie pats Matt on the back and walks past him "We should probably get going."
"Thanks for dinner" Rick stands up "I'll go get Amanda."
"I'm here, let's go." Amanda says curtly walking in.
"I'll call you tomorrow Robbie." Eric calls to him as they walk out the door. "Simon did she talk to you about it?"
"Somewhat, she doesn't feel like talking much though."
"I can see that, but it's for the best."
"Sometimes talking isn't best, everyone deals in their own way." Simon answers
"Yea but-"
"No buts, just period." Simon tells Eric "I'll be in my room."
****************
"Amanda come on talk to us." Robbie follows her inside the house.
"I don't want to talk."
"Getting angry wont help, neither will running away."
"Robbie just leave her." Rick tells him
"No. She needs to talk."
Amanda spins around "So what you spend a few months with a minister and now you know just what to say and do? Mom is dead, there's nothing to talk about."
"How about how you feel? Of what you're thinking?" Robbie asks
"I'm thinking that my life has just changed and I lost the only person in my life that cared about me and took care of me, that now I'm alone!" Amanda yells going into her room and slamming the door.
"Ouch" Rick mutters "I told you, you should have let her be."
"Shut up." Robbie replies going into his own room.
To be continued…. Please R&R